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The purpose of this blog will be to gauge the ability of various Linux distributions to meet my everyday needs as a typical computer user. I will be critiquing every aspect of the distribution, from installing the distribution to its ability to perform basic tasks like printing, playing games, connecting to the Internet by way of DSL and wireless, word processing tasks, and any other uses I need that I would otherwise be able to get with any other operating system. This blog will only be a critique of the Linux operating system as a viable desktop/laptop operating system.

I will begin today, Friday, November 13th, 2009 and end on Saturday, November 13th, 2010. What the blog will turn into after that point will be decided at a later time.

The installations will take place mostly on my laptop computer, a HP 6120. I may occasionally install a distribution on my desktop computer, but I am hesitant to do so because of the risk of messing up the installation process and losing data.

I’m not completely new to Linux, however. I installed Slackware around 10 years ago and dual-booted it with another operating system, but removed it after a few months because I wasn’t able to run X windows or connect to the internet with my admittedly junk PCI WinModem. There simply weren’t any available drivers for my video card or modem. At the time, I considered it little more than an operating system for hobbyists.

I’ve heard a lot has changed in the past 10 years, and I want to see if what I’m hearing is true. If it is, then Linux is well suited to be a king of the operating system market with a large developer base, availability of open source software, and cost (free!), compared to the less than stellar operating systems released by other companies over the past decade.